What Now? New Believer Plan For TeenagersSample

Am I doing this right?

Sometimes new Christians ask, “Am I doing this right?” You might wonder if there is more you should be doing, reading or crossing off a list. You might even look for rules to follow after saying, “Yes” to Jesus. You might not know what “following Jesus” really means for you and it's ok, you aren’t alone!

In the Bible there is a section written by a man named Matthew. He was a friend of Jesus and he wrote down what Jesus said and did. Matthew wrote down a story in which some bigheaded teachers asked Jesus a question. They called Jesus “Teacher” because he was known throughout the area as a teacher from God. They asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” The Pharisees (the hot-shots) lived by a list of rules and wanted Jesus to answer the question with a list of rules. Jesus answered differently than they had hoped. It shocked them and maybe will surprise you too.

Read

Matthew 22:26-40 Jesus made the answer both simple and complex. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Loving the Lord with your heart, soul and mind seems simple enough but to live this out consistently can be difficult. A list of rules may be easier to follow!

Think about this.

What does it look like when I love someone with all my heart? What would it look like to love God with my entire mind? What are things I think about that could get in the way of me loving God with my entire mind?

God desires our hearts be turned fully toward Him. He wants a true friendship. Imagine a friend who gives you a list of things to do to make sure you do your friendship right. Would that feel like a real friendship or like a list of tasks? It’s the same with God. He wants you to spend time with him, to love him, to respect him. What can that look like in your life?

Scripture reading:

Matt 22:36-40 Hebrews 13:8-15

Try this

Read these Bible stories and talk about these questions with a Christian friend or leader What does it look like to “be” in relationship with God? Is it easier to do things “for” God than to “be” with him? What does it mean for you to truly love God? What does that look like? What are some tangible ways that you’ve loved others as yourself?

Challenge:

Sit with God this week for 5 minutes a day. In the same way you would hang out with a friend, get someplace quiet and invite God to that space. Then tell him what you like about Him. Tell him what you need. Ask him to show you how to love him with all your heart and mind and strength.

Sometimes when we do that, God asks us to do something for him, like give up a TV show or an app on a phone. Sometimes he guides us to love other people the way He would love them. For example, he might stir in you the idea to eat with a kid who is a “loner” or say a kind word to someone who seems sad. If you sense that God wants you to do something so that you can love him better, write it down.

Sometimes when we do this, God tells us what He loves about us. He tells us, “Good Job” and reminds us that He is with us, and we are never alone. If you sense that God is saying something like that, write it down.

Tell a Christian friend or leader what you think God is telling you. Talk about what your next steps should be.